Tape measure



June 13, 1967 Filed Jan. 24, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M. QUENOT 3,325,116

TAPE MEASURE M. QUENOT TAPE MEASURE June 13, 1967 2 sheets-sheen 2 FiledJan. 24, 1966 United States Patent 3,325,116 TAPE MEASURE Michel Quenut,Besancon, Doubs, France, assignor to Etablissements Quenot and Company,Besancon, Doubs, France Filed Jan. 24, 1966, Ser. No. 522,701 3 Claims.(Cl. 242-843) This application is in part a continuation of my previousapplication Ser. No. 370,194 filed May 26, 1964, and now abandoned.

The present invention is concerned with a spiral or scroll-shaped casingfor winding a tape of metal or fabric adapted to measure lengths andcomprising a bottom and a cover assembled together by a peripheral headwith a tangential exit and associated with a mechanism for winding andunwinding the tape and with means for tangentially guiding the tapebetween the inside and the outside of the casing.

Unexpectedly, in accordance with this invention, it has been found thatgiving to a tape measure casing a scrollshaped or many-centered spiralconfiguration in combination with providing guide rollers at theforwardly extending projection of the casing ensures the tangentialwinding of the tape and leads to greater accuracy in withdrawing itwithout slip back.

According to a feature of the invention, designed for metal retractabletapes the guiding means are constituted by cooperating opposed channelsextending approximately along a tangent with reference to the cylinderdefined by the convolutions of said tape inside the casing.

According to a further feature of the invention, the opening in thereinforcement is constituted by a slot shaped so as to guide the tapeaccurately with a smooth frictional action.

According to a still further feature of the invention, the tangentialopening in the casing allows securing two rollers revolvably carried toeither side of the tangential exit and arranged in a manner such that,on the one hand, the space inside the casing provided for the winding ofthe tape, may be entirely free and that on the other hand, the tape maybe wound tangentially with reference to the cylinder formed by itsconvolutions, the diameter of which cylinder varies between a minimumwhen the tape is unwound and a maximum when the tape is wound withoutsaid tape frictionally engaging the outer ridges of the casing.

The accompanying drawing illustrates by way of example preferredembodiments of the invention. In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a cover for the system;

FIGURE 2 is a plan of the bottom member of the system;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of FIGURE 1;and

FIGURE 4 is the same taken along line IV-IV of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view of the completed assembly.

FIGURE 6 is a detail view of a variant.

Shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 the system comp-rises a casing 1 enclosing atape 2 wound over a drum 3 controlled by a crank 24 in FIGURE 5. Thecasing 1 is constituted by a scroll-shaped peripheral bead 5 formed bythe inturned edges of a bottom 3a and of a cover 6. Said bottom andcover are assembled by means of a center screw which is not illustratedand four side screws such as 20, 22 in FIGURE 5 fitting in threadedposts A, B, C and D moulded integrally with the device and which hold3,325,116 Patented June 13, 1967 the cover and the bottom assembled incontacting rela tionship with drum 3. The end 7 of each spiral orscrollshaped casing extends approximately along a line tangent to theperiphery of the bead and terminates along an oblique line to form anopening 8 (FIGURE 5) through which the tape may pass out of the casing.At this tangential exit are secured two rollers 9 and 10 revolving roundaxes parallel with the axis of the drum 3, so that the tape 2 may slidebetween said rollers without engaging them or else while engaging one ofsaid rollers or the other; but in all cases the tape remains in adirection tangential to the cylinder of a variable diameter formed bythe convolutions of the tape inside the casing with the aid of the screwpost A which extends inward toward the center axis and aids inpreventing the tape from touching the edges of the casing.

It will be noted from FIGURES 3 and 4 that the present device isassembled by fitting together halves 3a and 6 which may be molded ofplastic, and inserting the screws at A, B, C and D as well as the centersc-rew previously mentioned. This holds true for the larger models suchas a 10 yard measure. In smaller ones, the side screws can be dispensedwith. In such embodiments, it is easier to replace the guide rollers bytangential grooves 20 as shown in FIGURE 6 provided on members 3a and 6.

Many modifications may of course be brought to the embodiments disclosedwithout widening the scope of the invention, as defined in theaccompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A portable tapemeasure comprising a substantially scroll-shapedcasing having a pair of interfitting element-s having side walls withoppositely facing in-turned edges defining a concave annularintermediate casing portion, means holding said elements mounted, ameasuring tape coiled within said casing and selectively extensibleoutwardly of said casing, said intermediate portion having an outerperipheral forward projection substantially in a plane tangential tosaid casing with an end surface approximately in a plane normal to thefirst mentioned plane giving said casing said substantiallyscroll-shape, said end projection having an outlet through which saidtape is extensible longitudinally outwardly of said casing, togetherwith guide means near said outlet for preventing said tape from touchingthe edges of said casing.

2. A tape-measure according to claim 1, in which said projection has apair of guide rollers rotatably mounted in said outlet for guiding thetravel of said tape along a path there-between when said tape tends tomove away from said path.

3. A tape-measure according to claim 1, wherein said peripheralprojection has channels near said outlet for guiding said tape thereinto said outlet.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,956,806 5/1934 Mitzen et a1242-84 X 1,982,610 11/1934 Harris 242-107 X 2,157,278 5/1939 Blackmore242-84 X 2,544,908 3/1951 Winston.

2,575,354 11/1951 Mills 242-184 X 2,641,790 6/1953 Coult 242-86 X2,705,115 3/1955 Ewing 242-107 3,008,661 11/1961 Estes et a1 242-76 X3,021,089 2/ 1962 Becker 242-107 3,159,357 12/1964 Berlings 242-71 FRANKI. COHEN, Primary Examiner. W. S. BURDEN, Assistant Examiner.

1. A PORTABLE TAPE-MEASURE COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY SCROLL-SHAPEDCASING HAVING A PAIR OF INTERFITTING ELEMENTS HAVING SIDE WALLS WITHOPPOSITELY FACING IN-TURNED EDGES DEFINING A CONCAVE ANNULARINTERMEDIATE CASING PORTION, MEANS HOLDING SAID ELEMENTS MOUNTED, AMEASURING TAPE COILED WITHIN SAID CASING AND SELECTIVELY EXTENSIBLEOUTWARDLY OF SAID CASING, SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION HAVING AN OUTERPERIPHERAL FORWARD PROJECTION SUBSTANTIALLY IN A PLANE TANGENTIAL TOSAID CASING WITH AN END SURFACE APPROXIMATELY IN A PLANE NORMAL TO THEFIRST MENTIONED PLANE GIVING SAID CASING SAID SUBSTANTIALLYSCROLL-SHAPE, SAID END PROJECTION HAVING AN OUTLET THROUGH WHICH SAIDTAPE IS EXTENSIBLE LONGITUDINALLY OUTWARDLY OF SAID CASING, TOGETHERWITH GUIDE MEANS NEAR SAID OUTLET FOR PREVENTING SAID TAPE FROM TOUCHINGTHE EDGES OF SAID EASING.